Biopsy needle and photoacoustic measurement apparatus

Abstract

In a biopsy needle having a hollow tubular outer needle, an inner needle that is disposed in a hollow portion of the outer needle so as to be movable in the tube axis direction relative to the outer needle, and a recessed sample collection portion that is cut inward from a circumferential surface of the inner needle, an outer groove extending in the tube axis direction of the outer needle is provided on at least the distal end side and the rear end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle, and a light guide member is disposed in the outer groove. At least a part of the light guide member is fixed by fillers filled in the outer groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A biopsy needle, comprising:
 a hollow tubular outer needle; 
 an inner needle that is movable in a tube axis direction relative to the outer needle and that is disposed in a hollow portion of the outer needle; 
 a sample collection portion that has a recessed shape and that is provided on a circumferential surface of the inner needle; 
 an outer groove that is provided on each of at least a distal end side and a rear end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle and that is opened to the circumferential surface of the inner needle and extends in the tube axis direction; wherein each of the outer grooves is open to the sample collection portion respectively, 
 a first light guide member that is disposed in each of the outer grooves and in the sample collection portion, and that is disposed from a rear end side of the inner needle to vicinity of a distal end of the inner needle; 
 a first light absorber that absorbs light emitted from a distal end of the first light guide member and emits a photoacoustic wave; and 
 a filler that is filled in the outer groove on at least one of on an inner needle rear end side or on an inner needle distal end side to fix at least a part of the first light guide member. 
 
     
     
       2. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first light absorber is disposed in the outer groove provided on the distal end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle. 
 
     
     
       3. The biopsy needle according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first light guide member is fixed to a bottom surface of the sample collection portion by a fixing member that covers at least a part of the first light guide member. 
 
     
     
       4. The biopsy needle according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the outer grooves and the bottom surface of the sample collection portion are located at the same height position. 
 
     
     
       5. The biopsy needle according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the outer grooves and a bottom surface of the sample collection portion are located at the same height position. 
 
     
     
       6. The biopsy needle according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the sample collection portion is located at a position higher than a bottom surface of the outer grooves. 
 
     
     
       7. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first light guide member is fixed to a bottom surface of the sample collection portion by a fixing member that covers at least a part of the first light guide member. 
 
     
     
       8. The biopsy needle according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the outer grooves and the bottom surface of the sample collection portion are located at the same height position. 
 
     
     
       9. The biopsy needle according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the bottom surface of the sample collection portion is located at a position higher than a bottom surface of the outer grooves. 
 
     
     
       10. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the outer grooves and a bottom surface of the sample collection portion are located at the same height position. 
 
     
     
       11. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the sample collection portion is located at a position higher than a bottom surface of the outer grooves. 
 
     
     
       12. The biopsy needle according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein at least one of an end portion of the bottom surface of the sample collection portion on an inner needle distal end side or an end portion of the bottom surface of the sample collection portion on an inner needle rear end side has an inclined surface whose height is configurable continuously. 
 
     
     
       13. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the sample collection portion is located at a position lower than a bottom surface of the outer grooves. 
 
     
     
       14. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bottom surface groove that communicates with the outer groove on an inner needle distal end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle and the outer groove on an inner needle rear end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle and that is provided on a bottom surface of the sample collection portion, and 
 wherein the first light guide member is disposed in the bottom surface groove. 
 
     
     
       15. The biopsy needle according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first light guide member is fixed in the bottom surface groove by a fixing member that covers at least a part of the first light guide member. 
 
     
     
       16. The biopsy needle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second light guide member that is disposed in the outer groove provided on the rear end side of the sample collection portion in the inner needle and that has a distal end located in the sample collection portion; and 
 a second light absorber that absorbs light emitted from the distal end of the second light guide member and emits a photoacoustic wave. 
 
     
     
       17. The biopsy needle according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the second light guide member is fixed to a bottom surface of the sample collection portion by a fixing member that covers at least a part of the second light guide member. 
 
     
     
       18. The biopsy needle according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the fixing member is formed of a light absorbing material. 
 
     
     
       19. A photoacoustic measurement apparatus, comprising:
 the biopsy needle according to  claim 1 .